Land use compatibility planning software

• US 20050182557A1
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Jonathan C., Smith, Alexander E., Blair, Robert P., Breen, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A land use compatibility software module uses an existing suite of airport management programs to generate exception reports for FAA Part 77 land use compatibly surveys. Land use compatibility management is a manually intensive and time-consuming process. The noise officer may have to compute whether a proposed structure violates FAA'"'"'s obstruction clearance criteria as set out in FAA'"'"'s standard for obstacle clearance zones (Part 77). With these thee-dimensional zone shapes entered into AirScene™, the user may enter lat/long and height data for potential obstructions, such as cellular telephone towers as mentioned in the above example. The system will plot the potential obstructions on the map and will determine whether or not the height and proposed position of the tower violates the FAA'"'"'s obstruction criteria for that runway. The system may be used to generate “exception reports” for proposed structures.

Claims

1. A system for determining land use compatibility in and around an airport, comprising:

storage memory for storing at least one or more three-dimensional zone data relating to an airport approach criteria;

a data input for accepting dimensional data of an existing or proposed construction; and

a processor for plotting the existing or proposed construction on a map and determining whether or not existing or proposed construction violates predetermined obstruction criteria for the airport.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dimensional data comprises latitude and longitude and height of the existing or proposed construction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more three-dimensional zone data comprises at least one of Missed precision approach, Primary Surface, Transition Surface, and Approach Surface zones.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the Primary Surface comprises a surface longitudinally centered on a runway, extending 200 feet beyond either end of the runway, when the runway has a specially prepared hard surface, and ending at the end of the runway if the runway has no specially prepared surface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the elevation of any point on the Primary Surface is the same as the elevation of the nearest point on the runway centerline and the width of the Primary Surface is uniform throughout and is based on the most precise approach existing or planned for either end of the runway.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the Approach Surface for a precision instrument approach comprises a surface, longitudinally centered, on the extended centerline of the runway, beginning at the end of the Primary Surface and extending outward and upward at a slope of 50:

1 (2.0 percent) for a horizontal distance of 10,000 feet and at a slope of 40;

1 (2.5 percent) for an additional 40,000 feet having a width the same as the Primary Surface at the beginning and increases uniformly to a width of 16,000 feet at a distance of 50,000 feet from the end of the Primary Surface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the Transition Surface comprises a surface extending outward and upward, at right angles to the runway centerline and runway centerline extended, from the sides of the Primary Surface and the Approach Surfaces having a slope of 7-1 (14.3 percent) and extending until it intersects a Horizontal or Conical Surface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor generates compliance forms showing that the existing or proposed construction does not violate predetermined obstruction criteria for the airport.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor generates FAA forms including 7460-1, “

Notice of Proposed Construction or Alteration”

in response to determination of whether or not existing or proposed construction violates predetermined obstruction criteria for the airport

10. A method for determining land use compatibility in and around an airport, comprising the steps of:

storing at least one or more three-dimensional zone data relating to an airport approach criteria in a memory,

inputting dimensional data of an existing or proposed construction, and

plotting the existing or proposed construction on a map and determining whether or not existing or proposed construction violates predetermined obstruction criteria for the airport.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dimensional data comprises latitude and longitude and height of the existing or proposed construction.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more three-dimensional zone data comprises at least one of Missed precision approach, Primary Surface, Transition Surface, and Approach Surface zones.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the Primary Surface comprises a surface longitudinally centered on a runway, extending 200 feet beyond either end of the runway, when the runway has a specially prepared hard surface, and ending at the end of the runway if the runway has no specially prepared surface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the elevation of any point on the Primary Surface is the same as the elevation of the nearest point on the runway centerline and the width of the Primary Surface is uniform throughout and is based on the most precise approach existing or planned for either end of the runway.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the Approach Surface for a precision instrument approach comprises a surface, longitudinally centered, on the extended centerline of the runway, beginning at the end of the Primary Surface and extending outward and upward at a slope of 50:

1 (2.0 percent) for a horizontal distance of 10,000 feet and at a slope of 40;

1 (2.5 percent) for an additional 40,000 feet having a width the same as the Primary Surface at the beginning and increases uniformly to a width of 16,000 feet at a distance of 50,000 feet from the end of the Primary Surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the Transition Surface comprises a surface extending outward and upward, at right angles to the runway centerline and runway centerline extended, from the sides of the Primary Surface and the Approach Surfaces having a slope of 7-1 (14.3 percent) and extending until it intersects a Horizontal or Conical Surface.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of generating compliance forms showing that the existing or proposed construction does not violate predetermined obstruction criteria for the airport.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of generating FAA forms including 7460-10, “

Notice of Proposed Construction or Alteration”

in response to determination of whether or not existing or proposed construction violates predetermined obstruction criteria for the airport.

19. A system for generating airport usage data, comprising:

at least one data source providing information relating to airplane traffic at the airport;

means for retrieving data from the at least one data source;

means for correlating and assembling data from the at least one data source to produce a single stream of correlated data; and

an output device for outputting airport traffic flow data from the single stream of correlated data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises an accurate real-time assessment of the number of passengers on each arriving aircraft before it arrives.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises an accurate real-time assessment of the number of passengers on each departing aircraft at the time the aircraft door is closed.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises passenger flow.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one data source comprises historic data and flight schedules.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises the exact time an aircraft arrives or departs a gate.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises the exact use of the gates and ramps by passengers.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises passenger breakdown by time and length of journey flown.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises passenger hours spent in stationary airplanes during backups or inclement weather.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises passenger time-based airport performance metrics including at least one of time required from the curb to the aircraft and from airplane to curb.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises resource management of concessions and security, facilities, transportation, carousels, parking, and wheelchairs.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises an accurate real-time assessment of the weight of luggage or cargo on each arriving aircraft before it arrives.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises an accurate real-time assessment of the weight of luggage or cargo on each departing aircraft at the time of departure.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the traffic flow data comprises the amount of fuel supplied to each aircraft.